figurative s

Simile – compares two unlike things by using the words like or as.She floated in like a cloud.

Metaphor – compares two unlike things without using like or as. (It is more direct.)The book was a passport to adventure.

Analogy - Is the use of a simile or metaphor that is extended to show more ways that two unlike things are similar.Living in a dormitory is like a candy bar. The freedom is sweet, but you can run into some nuts.The Internet is a superhighway because of its speed and connections to so many computers.

Personification – gives human characteristics to a non-human thing.Her stomach growled.

Hyperbole – uses extravagant exaggeration for emphasis.My backpack weighs a ton!

Oxymoron – combines opposite and contradictory words.Clearly confused

Idiom – is an expression that means something different from the literal meaning of the words.Give it a shot 

Hyperbole vs. Idiom vs. ClichéA hyperbole deals with inflating or stretching the truth.I have told you the answer a million times.She could have cried a river.

Idioms have nothing to do with what they mean.She sang at the top of her lungs.He dragged his feet to get finished.

A cliché is overused, but it basically means what it says.An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Hyperbole Vs. MetaphorOxymoron Vs. SimileHis mother had warned him a million times that he would be severely punished if she caught him in a lie.After studying all night, Charles walked around like the living dead.Remember OXYMORONS are two CONTRADICTORY terms.

A symbol is an object that represents something else.Popular symbols fire in Fahrenheit 451 night or sleep may symbolize death

Irony - The use of words to express the opposite of what one really means or the difference between the actual result of events and the expected result.Situational – exists when the outcome (tragic or funny) is the opposite of expectations. Verbal – is a person saying the opposite of what is meant. (This is often sarcastic.)Dramatic – occurs when the reader or audience knows something important that a character does not know.

Paradox Contains ideas that seem to contradict or go against logic.Is different from irony because it contains the truth but sounds totally impossible!!!

– “Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink.”– Putting your cell phone on the charger all night will run down the battery.– Exercising will increase your energy level.

AllusionsAre an indirect reference to cultural works, people, or events.Can come from history, literature, sacred texts, art, or current events.Cause the reader to compare one thing with the thing being alluded to.

– He was a Scrooge around Christmas.– She threw us to the lion’s den.– When you spoke about uniforms, you opened Pandora’s box.

ImageryA collection of word pictures that appeal to the reader’s senses and is sometimes referred to as sensory imagery.Can include literary devices (simile, metaphor, etc.)Can create a picture in the reader’s mindThe young girl shivered on the icy stone bench as she watched each breath appear in the frosty air. The mournful sounds of the large ship horns were her only company as she waited near the harbor.

Rhyme Vs. Assonance Vs. AlliterationAlliteration is the repetition of similar sounds at the beginning of the words.

– He was determined to doubt and dared me to debate it.Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds. (used for effect or sound)

– I saw a life of blind kindness.Rhyme is the same / similar sound at the end of the words.

– Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey. Along came that spider and sat down beside her…

Onomatopoeia – the use of a word that imitates a sound, such as buzz and hiss.– The bang outside my window and the whirring of the chainsaw could mean only one thing; the

men were still working to remove the fallen tree.Repetition – the intentional use of the same words or words over and over again.

– Often used for emphasis• “We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.” – George W. Bush

SettingIs the time and place of a story, which include the surroundings or the environment.

– Time may be specified or general– Place may be specified or general.

• Often described using imagery.– As I entered the elaborate ballroom, my ears met the lilting lyrics of softly sung music. The

dancers gracefully waltzed, and I was wooed to watch.

Mood – the feeling created in the reader.happy, contented, uplifting, sad, despairing, depressing, shocking suspenseful, scary, horrific, dreadful

Tone – the writer’s attitude toward the subject or toward the characters.Serious, playful, humorous, sarcastic, sympathetic, mocking, formal, casual, matter-of-fact, bitter, critical, optimistic, carefree, hopeless

Atmosphere – the overall feeling that an author creates by using mood, tone, and setting.

Direct characterization – when the author comes right out and tells you what the characters are like.– Jordan at five is a sweet but mischievous girl who loves to dress up and play pretend games.

Indirect characterization – when you have to learn about the character through his actions. This is most effective because the author is showing, not telling.

– The husband was angry with his wife. “That bag of lettuce is half empty. Why didn’t you try to get one that had more in it?